Miracles And Magic

Dear Yogis!

October is my month! The best month! I celebrate my birthday all month long. The month used to conclude with Friends & Fun at the Yoga Show (postponed another year. Sigh!). I thought I might apply to teach there next year…

My birthday month always gives me pause for thought of some exuberant description. This year just in time, I came across an article by Dr. Ali Binazir saying that the chances of any of us existing as we are (with our DNA) is pretty much zero! He calculated the odds of parents meeting, all of their ancestors meeting, the odds of surviving wars and famines and making it to procreation age, the odds of the sperm and the egg... and so he concluded that: '“A miracle is an event so unlikely as to be almost impossible. By that definition, I’ve just shown that you are a miracle.” “Now go forth and feel and act like the miracle that you are.”'

Just what I needed! French literary critic Charles Du Bos said: ‘Sacrifice what you are, at any moment, for what you could become’. OK. I’m a carer but I plan to do that one day! On the more achievable side, yoga teacher Rod Stryker says of yoga practice that it “invites us to embody all of life’s greatest and most enduring qualities including courage, willpower, self-awareness, concentration, surrender or letting go, the pursuit of excellence and the empowerment that comes from overcoming resistance (both internal and external), and skilful action”.

And so that feeling floods in that we are made of magic and held by magic – in a formless and genderless, ageless and generous, enchanted embrace. It’s an embrace so soft we ignore it constantly. That soft embrace also holds us in illness. The likelihood of death (100% probability!) doesn’t diminish that we were born miracles. Yoga's physical practice is the scaffolding that fortifies the union of body and mind, of body/mind and universe, of the whole of ourselves with the whole of our ancestry and with the magic that is us.

Zoom Classes 

I taught a class in Chicago yesterday. On Wednesday a baby joined the class in a baby seat did the most impressive forward fold. I just love Zoom teaching!  A couple of people have reported paypal problems. You are welcome pay via my bank account if you prefer. A few people do. Just let me know. And come to class today. As I write this, one person is booked for today’s class. Join us!!! For all classes and especially today, you can book here.

Yoga in the news 

The Independent has: Yoga instructor breaks woman’s leg while trying to do dragon pose. It’s the hip-flexor pose that we do. You know this one! It doesn’t need teacher intervention and adjustment. “She was pushing down on my thigh, and pressed too hard. Suddenly, I just felt severe pain and could not move at all,” Ms Wang was quoted as saying.

The Telegraph has: Stiff Guy Yoga: the best workout for non-bendy men. Lawyer-turned-yoga teacher Nikki Lynds-Xavier set up Stiff Guy Yoga at a studio in Winchester to counter ‘airy-fairy’ perceptions of yoga and appeal to the average man who might otherwise be put off. Lynds-Xavier found that the idea of twinkly Indian music, incense and ‘oms’ was off-putting to men, particularly beginners.

The Logical Indian has: Only 35% Indians Said They Ever Practiced Yoga: Study. ‘Despite its roots in Hinduism, a majority of Hindus abstain from undertaking the practice. Among other religions, Indian Jains could clear the distinctions with a percentage score of 62 per cent of practising Yoga, followed by Sikhs at 50 per cent, Indian Buddhists at 38 per cent. Moreover, only 29 per cent of Muslims and 24 per cent of Christians confirmed that they perform Yoga’.

BBC Radio 4 has: Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley Change Your Mealtimes. Quick and simple ways to change your life. It’s such a good listen about Time Restricted Eating. Fasting overnight for 12-14 hours. Mosely says: ‘More than 2000 years ago, Buddha suggested to his followers that they not eat at night. He also said: 'Because I avoid eating in the evening, I'm in good health, light, energetic and live comfortably'.